Engine-starting apparatus



Oct. 2l, 1930. R. CHILTON v ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheev l F'iled Jan. 30, 1929 g f m..

:Slmcutor dttorncgs Oct. 21, 1930.' R. cHaLToN 1,778,886

8 ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS FiledyJan, 30. 1929 3 sheets-sheet 2 j Oct., 21, 41930.

R. CHILTON ENGINE. STARTING APPARATUS Filed Jan, 50, 1929 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 i i 2f, noentor Gttorneg5 vzo Patented Oct. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES ROLAND CHILTON, OF KEYPORT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, :BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0

PATENT OFFICE! ECLPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA HEIGHTS, NEUW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW' Yom;

- ENGINE-STARTING APPARATUS Application mea January so, 192e. serial Nn. 336312.

This invention relatesto engine starting apparatus and more particularly to combined starting and ignition mechanism for internal 'combustion engines. y

It has been proposed heretofore to employ inertia mechanism for starting internal combustion. engines. Mechanism of this character, broadly considered, generally includes a rotatable driving member which may be shifted to engage a rotatable member of the engine to be started, a small flywheel which is adapted to be rotated at very high speed, and means including reduction gearing and yielding clutch means interposed between the flywheel and the driving or engine engaging member. When the j flywheel has been brought to a high speed of rotation, sufficient energy is stored therein sothat the driving member, when shifted into engagement with the engine, serves to rotate the engine shaft and start the engine. Where'magnetos are employed for supplying ignition current to the engine, it has been found that ignition is sometimes faulty in starting because the engine shaft is turned over at a speed too slow to supply the desired current from the magneto. It has therefore been proposed to employ a magneto, usually called a booster magneto, which is driven at high speed by the starting apparatus and therefore supplies sufficient current to insure perfect ignition y during the starting of the engine.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel combined inertia starter and booster magneto, of the type wherein the engine, inertia starter and booster magneto are all drivably engaged simultaneously to start the engine. y

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an inertia starter adapted to be actuated by manual .means or power means or both,

and embodying a booster magneto and meansfor disconnecting the booster magneto during the manual actuation'ofthe apparatus.

Another object is to provide novel means for drivably engaging a booster magneto with the flywheel or inertia element of a starter.

Another object isto provide yieldable and normally disengaged driving means adapted to` be engaged to drivably connect a booster magneto with the inertia element of a starter.

Another object is to provide means wherev by driving meansl for a booster mal eto may be drivably and yieldably engage .with the inertia element itself of a starter.

Two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that said drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as a denition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for` u this purpose.

In said drawings- Fig. 1 is an elevation', partly in section, of

a starter embodying the invention;

' Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the

starter is shown diagrammatically only,y since any suitable known type of inertia startingmechanism may be employed. This mechanism may be housed in aA suitable casing 1, adapted in any suitable way for attachment to the casing of an engine. A rotatable and longitudinally shif'table member 2 is pro' vided with teeth ,3 which are adapted 4to engage corresponding teeth formed .on a member of the engine, such as the crankshaft (not shown) or an extension thereof.. rI'he member 2 is adapted to be rotated, throu h an suitable train of reduction gearing an yiel ing'clutch means housed within the casing 1, by a flywheel or inertia element 4.

Asshown, the flywheel comprises a hub 5 mounted in a ball bearing 6 in the casing 1, the heavy rim of the flywheel 4 being attached to said hub in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 7 In the -embodiment shown, the flywheel is adapted to be brought to speedbymeans of a manually operable cranking shaft 8 which is connected through a ratchet jaw clutch 9 to suitable gearing (not shown) that meshes with a low speed element of the train of reduction gearing to shift the engine engaging member 2 intov engagement with the end of the engine crankshaft, whereby the energy stored in the rotating iywheel 4 is effective through the reduction gearing and the teeth 3to crank the engine. It is to be understood, however, `that the above apparatusper se constitutes no part of the present'invention.

A booster magneto 18 is mounted in any suitable manner on the casing 1, the magneto armature (not shown) being drivably connected in any suitable manner with a shaft 19. rlhe end of the shaft 19 is referably tapered and carries a gear 20 keye to the shaft at 21, said gear being locked on the end" ofthe shaft by means of a nut 22. The gear 20 is in mesh with corresponding teeth 23 formed on one en d of a short shaft 24mounted in ball bearings 25 and 26. rPhe ball bearing 25 is seated against a shoulder formed by the teeth 23 on .the shaft 24, said teeth being of increased with the engine.

diameter for this purpose, and said bearing is slidably mounted in a bore 27 formed in the casing. The ball bearing 26 is slidably mounted in a recess 28 formed in the hub 5 of the flywheel. Between the ball bearings 25 and 26 is the disk 29, splined to the shaft 24, and provided with aninternal clutch face 30 adapted to cooperate with a corresponding clutch face 31 formed on the flywheel hub 5. A- nut'32'on the end of the shaft 24 holds said shaft, the ball bearings 25 and 26, and the disk 29 in assembled relation.

The assembly ofv shaft 24, ball bearings 25 and 26 and disk 29 is axially slidable as a unit to engage or disengage the clutch faces 30 and 31, but the length of the teeth 23 is such that they are always in engagement with the gear 20. Suitable means such as a leaf spring 33 mounted on the casing normally urges the shaft 24 to a position in which the clutch faces -30 and 31 are disengaged, and suitable means are provided whereby said shaft may be shifted in the opposite direction to engage the clutch faces and drive the booster magneto from the flywheel 4 when the control rod 10 is pulled to engage the starting apparatus To this end, a short lever 34 is suitably pivoted at 35 on the casing and has one end pivotally connected at 36 with the swinging arm or lever 12. The other end 37 off the lever 34 is positioned to engage the end of the shaft 24 and to displace said shaft to engage theV clutch faces 3() and 31 when the control rod 10 is pulled.

When the flywheel is. brought to speed by means of the hand crankshaft8, a pull on the control rod 10 rotates the swinging arm 12 and by mea-ns of the link 14, lever 15, and rockshaft 16, displaces the engine engaging member 2 to engage-the engine' shaft, and at the same time swings the lever 34 about its pivot 35 so that the end 37 of said lever engages the end ofshaft 24 and displaces said shaft to engage the clutch faces 30 and 31, whereby the booster magneto is driven from the flywheel. The yieldable driving connection-constituted by the friction clutch faces 30 and 31 permits a certain amount of slippage until the armature of the magneto hasstarted to rotate. Vhen the engine starts, the engine shaft overruns the engine engaging member 2 and forces the latter back. out

of engagement to the position shown in the drawings, the lever 12 restoring the lever 34 to normal position, whereupon the spring 33 moves the shaft 24 to disengage the clutch faces 30 and 31.

1n the embodiment of the invention .shown in Figs. 4 and 5, link 38, which is secured at one end to the operating lever 39, is secured at its other end to one end of a lever 40 pivoted at 41 to the casing 1. The other end of the lever 40 extends through a notch 42 in the periphery ofa ring 43 rotatably mounted on a cylindrical portion ofthe starter casing or housing. A pull rod 44 is secured to the ring 43 and may be provided with a suitable handle such as the control rod 10 of Fig. 1. When the rod 44 is pulled, ring 43 is rotated and the lever 40 is rocked about its pivot 41,

the link 38 depressing the lever 391 and rock-- of a cam 47 carried by a shaft 48 rotatably mounted in the casing.- The shaft 48 is preferably actuated by means of an arm 49 which is connected to the rotating ring 43 by means of a spring 50. The oper-ation of this embodiment of the invention is substantially the same as the operation of the em odiment of"Figs.11 to 3, inclusive, as above escribed. When the rod 44 is pulled to engage the driven member with the engine shaft, the

spring 5() rotates the arm 49 and the shaft 48 and the cam 47 shifts the shaft 24 to en' I I gage the clutch faces 30 and 31 vvherby the magneto is driven. When the engine starts, and the engine engaging member 2 is shifted out of engagement with the en ine shaft, the lever 40 1s rotated -to restore t e ring 43 to the position shown in the drawings, and the spring 33 shifts theshaft 24 to disengage the clutch faces 30 and 31, the movement of said shaft rotating cam 47, shaft 48 and arm 49 to 6 their original position.

' While only two embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is ca* pable of a wide variety of mechanical expressions, and that changes may be made in the form, details and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference is therefore to be had to the appendedclaims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is: l

1. In engine starting apparatus of the type having a member adapted to be moved intol engagement with an engine to be started, a iiywheel for driving said member, clutch means formed on said flywheel, a cooperating clutch member 'adapted to be shifted into driving en agement therewith, and a magneto driva ly connected with said clutch member.

2. In engine starting apparatus of the type having a member adapted to be moved into engagement with an engine to be started and a flywheel for drivin said member, clutch means formed on said ywheel, a cooperating clutch member adapted to be shiftedinto driving engagement therewith, said means and clutch member constituting a yieldable driving connection, and a magneto drivably.l

connected with said clutch member.

3. In engine starting apparatus of the type having a member adapted to be moved into engagement with` an engine to be started and a flywheel for driving said member, a friction surface formed on said flywheel, a member having a Cooperating friction surface adapted to be shifted into driving ,engagement with said flywheel friction surface, and

a magneto drivably connected to said second-e named member. l vg 4.`In apparatus of the class described, a member adapted to be moved intov engagement with an engine to be started, a flywheel drivably connected with saidmember, clutch 5o means formed on said flywheel, a cooperating clutch member adapted to be shifted into driving engagement therewith, a magneto drivably connected with said clutchmember and means for simultaneously 'shifting said first-named member4 into engagement with said engine and saidclutch member into engagement with said clutch means 5. In apparatus of the class described, a longitudinally movable member adapted to l '6o .heengaged with an engine to be started,

a 'flywheel drivably connected with said member, clutchmeans formed on said flywheel, a cooperating clutch member adapted tobe shifted into drivingengagement with $5 said clutch means, said clutch means and member constituting a yieldable driving conthereon, a clutch member having a cooperating friction surface and adapted to be moved into engagement with said flywheel friction surface, a magneto drivably connected with said Vclutch member, and means for simultaneously shifting said first named member into engagement with said engine and said clutch member into engagement with said flywheel. .v

7. In engine starting apparatus of the-type having a member adapted to be moved longitudinally into engagement with an engine to be started and a flywheel drivably connected therewith, clutch means formed on'said flywheel, a rotatable and longitudinali movable shaft, a clutch member carried y said shaft and adapted to engage said means, a magneto drivably connected with said shaft,

and means for longitudinally moving said shaft to engage said clutch -member and clutch means.

8. In engine starting apparatus of the type having a member adapted to be moved into engagement with an engine to be started and a flywheel for driving said member, clutch means formed on said flywheel, a cooperating clutch member adapted to be 4shifted into driving engagement with said means, a magneto drivablyconnected to said clutch member, means for shifting said first-named member into engagement with saidy engine, and means actuated by said last-named means for moving said clutch member into engagement with said clutch means.

9. In engine starting apparatus of the type having a member adapted to be moved into en agement with an engine to be started and a ywheel for .drivin said member, clutch means formed pn said ywheel, a cooperating clutch member adapted `to be shifted into driving engagement with said means, resilient means normally maintainin said clutch. member out of engagement wit said clutch,`

means, a magneto drlvably connected to said l.clutch member, means for shifting said firstnamed member into engagement with said engine, and means actuated by said 1astnamed means for moving said clutch member into engagement with said clutch means.

10. In engine starting apparatus of the type having a member adapted to be moved into engagement with an engine to be started and a flywheel for driving said member, said i a lflywheel having a friction surface formed yably connected with said member, said i'ly.

fas

flywheel having a friction surface formed thereon, a rotatable and longitudinally movable shaft, a clutch member having a cooperating friction surface carried-by said shaft, a magneto drivably connected with said shaft, means for shifting said irst-named member into engagement with said engine,

and means actuated by said last-named means for moving said shaft to engage said clutch member with said flywheel friction surface.

11. In engine starting apparatus, a member adapted to be moved into engagement with an engine to' be started, al flywheel drivably connected withsaid member, said iywheel having a friction lsurface formed thereon, a rotatable and longitudinally movable shaft, a clutch ,member carried b v said shaft and having a cooperating friction surface, resilient means normally maintaining said clutch member o't of engagement with said flywheel friction surface, a magneto drivably connected with said shaft, means for shifting said first-named member into engagement with said engine, and means actuated by said last-named means for moving said shaft to engage said clutch member `with said flywheel friction surface.

12. In vengine starting apparatus, a member adapted to be moved into engagement with anengine to be started, a flywheel drivwheel having a friction surface formed thereon, a rotatable and longitudinall mov# ableshaft, a clutch member carried t erebyv 'having a cooperating friction surface, lresilient means normally maintaining said clutch member out of engagement with said fiywheel friction surface, a magneto drivably connected with said clutch member, means for shifting said first-named member into engagement with said engineand a pivoted lever operatively connected with said shifting means and adapted to move said shaft to engage said clutch member with said flywheel friction surface.

-In testimony whereof I have signed this l I specification.

ROLAND CHILTON. 

